Elizabeth Banks said it took about three hours – start to finish – to transform into her “Hunger Games” character Effie Trinket. Unfortunately, she said, it took even longer to use the restroom.

It’s because of Effie’s “huge, bejeweled nails,” Banks said Wednesday on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” noting, they make unbuttoning and unzipping a mere impossibility.

Luckily, Banks, who describes her eccentric character as a “government official/escort/PR maven,” said she had a team of people who accompanied her to the restroom. Her “ladies in waiting,” as she called them, would help her out of Effie’s skirts and undergarments, and even hand her toilet paper.

“I had, like, ladies in waiting that would [come to the bathroom with me]. … I would stop drinking water I felt so bad,” she said, adding, “They’re really cool [nails], but completely impractical.”

Ellen, unable to bare the thought of Banks having nail troubles for another three films (The sequel, “Catching Fire,” is currently in development), offered a solution: She gave the actress a pair of nude-colored gloves adorned with long blue nails.

We’re not sure if Banks’ nail-gloves will make it into the movie, what with tiny pictures of Ellen’s face plastered on them, but they would certainly make her bathroom breaks more efficient.

Wow. She seems a bit ungrateful . The costume designer dd a great job getting Effie from page to stage and this is one of several articles I have read wi ms. Banks complaints and remarks about her costume. We dont need to recognize you sweetheart we want to see the story on the screen. There are plenty of women who go around daily with nails as long as those and they don't seem to need bathroom help. In this age of hd cameras detail matters...I am sure ther are plenty of actors who would love to take her place. Suck it up and do your job.

Did you click on the picture of her nails? There were tiny little martini glasses glued to each nail! What a freakin' stupid thing to do to an actress. Why couldn't the nails be temporary so she could pull them off to go pee and then have them re-attached for her scene.

Wow!One of her suits look almost exactly like one of my great grams on an old picture,it wasn't in color of course, I think it was navy or black.She looked almost as sharp as Effie.I can hardly wait to see the movie at midnight.